NFL Week 4 Review

Each Tuesday I will be posting a review of the previous week of NFL action.  At the end of each article I will include my top 5, games to watch next week, and a list of teams I expect to make the playoffs (let's see how long it takes me to take the Eagles off of this list). So here it goes.

Week 4 Review

Winners

1. Detroit Lions:  A trait of good teams is the ability to come back from large deficits and win games.  The Lions are 4-0 and have overcome 20-point deficits in consecutive weeks.  In a conference where so-called playoff locks like the Eagles and Falcons are struggling mightily, Detroit is looking good for games in January.

2. Jim Harbaugh:  The rookie head coach is also off to great start, sitting at 3-1 and coming off of a huge win over the preseason favorite Eagles.  To think that he's doing this with average to below-average players has to give 49ers fans hope for the future and maybe even this year.  San Francisco is the only team with more than one win in the dismal NFC West and will get into the playoffs if another team doesn't figure it out soon.

3. Michael Vick:  Yes, his team endured a devastating loss, but we saw a lot more of the 2010 Vick last week than we had previously.  Vick was 30-46 for 416 yards with 2 TDs passing and rushed for 75 yards on 8 carries.  Unfortunately, he didn't have any help from his running backs (McCoy's line: 9 carries for 18 yards.  Brown's: 3 carries for 15 yards and a bonehead fumble).  Eagles fans hope that this is a sign of things to come for Vick, who to this point had been rather underwhelming.

Losers

1. Tony Romo:  The way Romo's season is going, he's bound to be on either the "winners" list or "losers" list every week.  This week, two pick-sixes in the 3rd quarter help Romo get on the loser list.  Like Vick, his team endured a crushing defeat after leading 20-3 at the half, but unlike Vick, he had a lot to do with his team's loss.  Leave it to Deion Sanders to explain the rest.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: The loss to the Falcon hurt, but was understandable because Vick left the game early and the Falcons are supposed to be good.  The loss to the Giants hurt more, but there's still the excuse that Vick left early.  In Week 4, however, Vick put up MVP stats and Philly still found a way to lose.  The linebacker issue is a big one, as is the offensive line issue.  The highly-touted secondary can't cover everybody, and with half of the defensive line on the sideline, it's just that much easier for teams to get to the second level (or should I say "suck-ond level."  I'm allowed to do that because this is my team I'm criticizing and everybody already knows I like stupid jokes.)  Philly travels to Buffalo next week to face the "are they for real?" Bills in need of a turnaround win.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers: The defending AFC champions are off to a rough start, and it just got rougher.  Not only did QB Ben Roethlisberger take a beating, but defensive icon and leader James Harrison could be out for a while with what I will be calling a broken face (it's really an broken orbital bone).  He will be having face surgery tomorrow and there is no timetable for his return.

Top 5

1. Green Bay Packers (4-0): Aaron Rodgers looked unstoppable this week against Denver.
2. New England Patriots (3-1): The Brady-Welker combo is either a dream or nightmare for fantasy owners.
3. Detroit Lions (4-0): If Stafford stays healthy, Detroit will be here for a while.
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Raven's D almost killed me in fantasy this week.
5. New Orleans Saints (3-1): They've got two road games before coming back to the "Mercedes-Benz Superdome."

Games to Watch

1. Philadelphia at Buffalo:  How will the Eagles' D fare against Ryan Fitzpatrick and and Fred Jackson?  Falling to 1-4 would be unacceptable for a team that is supposed to be contending for the Super Bowl.  On the other hand, a Buffalo win could solidify their place among contenders.

2. New York Jets at New England Patriots: the Jets-Pats rivalry generally produces good games, but will the Revis-Cromartie cornerback tandem be able to slow down Brady?  The league's second-best pass defense will have its hands full, so Mark Sanchez will need to step up to get his team a win.

3. Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions: How many sacks will Ndamukong Suh get on Jay Cutler? This game is worth watching just for that, but it will also be a test for the Lions.  Falling behind by 20 is not an option this week because Matt Forte can keep Detroit's high-powered passing attack off the field. 

Playoff Teams

AFC
East: New England Patriots
North: Baltimore Ravens
South: Tennessee Titans
West: San Diego Chargers
Wild Card: Oakland Raiders
Wild Card: New York Jets

NFC
East: Philadelphia Eagles
North: Green Bay Packers
South: New Orleans Saints
West: San Francisco 49ers
Wild Card: Detroit Lions
Wild Card: Tampa Bay Buccaneers